11:45 am, NVMC – Garrett Timms and his miracle-workin’ training staff have done it again: Josh Bailey, who missed practice yesterday with a sprained ankle, will play tonight when the Islanders host the Washington Capitals. Bailey said a few days of treatment, some tape and some rest did the trick.

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As broken exclusively by Logie, Ben Walter is your recalled center. The 24-year old center is 5-9-14 in 16 games with Bridgeport this season. In 2007-07 under Scott Gordon in Providence, Walter was 24-43-67 in 73 games.

I just don’t have it in me to write about how he knows the Gordon system and should fit in seamlessly tonight, because that crap is getting tiresome and overrated. And I think even Go-Go wouldn’t argue against that.

“He has some skill,” Gordon said of Walter. “It’s an opportunity for him to show what he can do.”

Gordon on Bridgeport coach Jack Capuano: “Jack has done a real good job. The guys who’ve come up, they haven’t looked out of place.”

A theme at this morning’s skate was why the system so far has worked wonderfully in Bridgeport (18-7-1-2) and not so much in New York (10-18-2). A major reason thrown around was the luxury of all the practice time afforded in the American Hockey League.

Nonsense. It comes down to skill, commitment and, of course, personnel. Some more younger legs, eventually, wouldn’t hurt either.

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ETC: Gordon would not rule out the return of Kyle Okposo and Mike Comrie playing at some point on this weekend’s trip to Minnesota and Nashville…